Craig Fowler

Head of Rangers’ academy Craig Mulholland has revealed that all youth players at the club must be clean shaven when they report for training.

In recent years beards have come back into mainstream fashion with the fully clean shaven look becoming associated with past generations.

Rangers do not care for the style adopted by the likes of Hearts striker Juanma. Picture: Ian Georgeson

Its even spread into football with a number of players in Scotland going for facial hair of some description - look at the Hearts team, for example, you’d be lucky to find a clean shaven member among the squad.

However, in an interview with the Scottish Sun, Mulholland insisted that demanding players stay disciplined off the field means they will remain disciplined on it as well.

He said: “We look at discipline on and off the pitch. It can be simple things.

“Traditionally, Rangers players were always clean shaven. So in the academy, all the players have to be clean shaven in the morning.

“It’s not the be all and end all, but it’s a small thing we believe in.

“Timekeeping is another one. If someone is late for the bus and everyone is ready, the bus goes. That’s the same at first-team level.

“That discipline is so important. The minute you walk through all the top academies in Europe, you can feel that.”